Wick-adjusting mechanism.



G. W. MALLURY.

WICK ADJUSTING MECHANISM.

APPUCATION FILED MAR.3.1916,.

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WIGK-AIDJUSTING MECHANISM.

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Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 5, I916.

Application filed. March 3, 1916. Serial No. 81,801.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE W. MALLORY, a subject of the King of GreatBritain and Ireland, residing at Blenheim, in the Province of Ontarioand Dominion of Canada, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Tick-Adjusting Mechanism, of which the following is aspecification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

The invention relates to adjusting mechanism for the wicks of lamps,oil-stoves, etc., and it is the object of the invention to provide asimple and novel construction for adjustably limiting the points towhich the wick may be raised and lowered in successive operations, whilepermitting freedom for movement within said limits.

To this end the invention comprises the construction as hereinafter setforth.

In the drawings: Figure l is a sectional plan view of a portion of awick burner, showing my improved wick-adjusting mechanism appliedthereto; Fig. 2 is a side elevation; Fig. 3 is an elevation at rightangles to Fig. 2; and Fig. 4: is a longitudinal section through thewick-adjusting stem.

A is a portion of a burner for a lamp, oilstove or other deviceemploying a wick.

B is the stem of the usual wiclcadjusting device (not shown), and C isthe wheel or handle for adjusting said stem.

My improvement is applicable to any construction of wick-adjustingmechanism having the elements just described, and comprises a worm-gearD sleevedupon the stem 13, a worm E in mesh with said gear and mountedupon a laterally-extending stem F and a bracket G in which the stem F isj ournaled. In addition to the elements just' described there is mountedupon the stem F .atoothed wheel II and an extension I of the bracket Gis formed in a spring pawl for yieldably engaging said toothed wheel tohold the same from accidental adjustment. The worm-wheel D has a limitedfreedom of rotation upon the stem B, which is provided by a lost motioncoupling between the stem and wheel, which as shown consists of a pin Jon the stem extending into the path of a pair of spaced pins K and K onthe wheel. The amount of lost motion is sufficient to permit of raisingand lowering the wick from a point which will extinguish the fiame tothe point of maximum height of flame without smoking.

To apply my improvement to an ordinary wick-adjusting device theworm-wheel D is sleeved upon the stem and preferably held from endwisedisplacement by sleeves L and L on opposite sides thereof. The pin J is,then engaged with the stem and serves the double function of couplingthe wheel to the stem and holding the sleeve L in position. A furtheradvantage of this construction is that in applying the attachment to anold burner the original stem may be cut from its wheel C, as indicatedat M, so as to permit of slipping on the wormwheel D, and subsequentlythe sleeve J may be soldered or otherwise secured to the outer portionof the stem and coupled to the inner portion by the pin J, as shown inFig. 4:.

The bracket G may be attached to the burner by soldering or othersuitable means, said bracket being bifurcated to embrace the worm-wheeland furnish bearings for the stem F on opposite sides of said worm. Asshown the two furcations G and G are separately attached to the burner,but it is obvious that they might be made integral portions of the samemember.

In use to originally set the mechanism the wick is lighted and bycareful adjustment is so positioned as to give the maximum flame withoutsmoking. When in this position, the stem F is adjusted by means of itsthumb-wheel N so as to take up all lost motion between the stem B andworm in the direction of rotation for raising the wick. This will not,however, interfere with the turning of the stem B to lower the wick, andto such an extent as to extinguish the flame. Thus whenever theburner-is relighted it may be turned up to the limit of adjustmentwithout danger of raising the wick too high and causing smoking. As thewick becomes consumed it is necessary to change this adjustment, whichis accomplished by a rotation of the thumb-wheel N permitted by theyielding engagement of the spring pawl I with the notched or toothedwheel H. This will rotate the worm, permitting a slight advance of thewick to a higher position, and after the operator becomes accustomed tothe adjustment it will be easy to determine the amount required.

In practice I have found that adjustment is only required once or twicea week and that one notch of the toothed wheel is suiiicient for eachadjustment. The device is therefore one which may be easily manipulatedand accurately adjusted without exercise of any special skill orintelligence.

What I claim as my invention is 1. A wick adjusting device, comprising arotative stem for directly actuating the wick raising and loweringmechanism, a wormwheel having a lost-motion coupling enga gem'ent withsaid stem, a transverse stem having a worm thereon in mesh with saidwormwheel, a bracket in which said transverse stem is ournaled, havingan extension forming a resilient pawl, and a notched or toothed wheel onthe transverse stem yieldably engaged by said pawl.

2. A wick adjusting device, comprising a rotative stem for directlyactuating the wick raising and lowering mechanism, a wormwheel having alost-motion coupling engagement with said stem, a transverse stem, aworm on said stem in engagement with said worm-wheel, a bifurcatedbracket embracingsaid worm in which said transverse stem is journaled, aresilient yieldable pawl formed by an extension of one of the furcationsof said bracket, and a notched or toothed wheel'on said transverse stemwith which said pawl is yieldably engaged.

' i in which said transverse shaft is journaled,

said bracket being bifurcated to embrace saidworm, an extension of oneof the furcations of said bracket bent to extend substantially parallelto the axis of said transverse shaft and forming a resilient pawl, and anotched or toothed wheel on said shaft with which said pawl is engaged.

4. A wick adjusting device, comprising a' rotativestem for directlyactuating the wick Copies of this patent may be obtained raising andlowering mechanism, said stem being formed in two sections, the outersection having a thumb-wheel attached thereto, a worm-wheel sleeved uponthe inner section of said stem, a sleeve forming a coupling between thetwo sections of said stem and abutting against said worm-wheel, a pinstem, a notched or toothed wheel mounted on said stem, a bracket inwhich said stem is journaled, and a resilient yieldable extension ofsaid bracket forming a pawl for engaging said toothed wheel.

5. A wick adjusting device comprising a rotative stem for directlyactuating the wick raising and lowering mechanism, said stembeingaformed in two sections, a sleeve on the inner portion of said stemforming a shoulder thereon, a worm-wheel sleeved upon said inner portionof the stem and abutting against said shoulder, a sleeve secured to theouter portion of said stem telescopically engaging the inner portionthereof and forming a coupling between the sections, said sleeve alsoabutting against said worm-wheel, a pin extending radially through saidsleeve and stem to rotatively secure the same to each other, said pinextending radially outward adjacent to said worm-wheel, a pair of spacedpins projecting laterally from said worm-wheel upon opposite sides andin the path of said radial pin, a worm in mesh with said worm-wheel, atransversely-extending shaft on which said worm is mounted, and abracket in which said transversely-extending shaft is journaled.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

GEORGE w. MALLORY.

for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, f aWashington, D. 0..

